.36 ON THE NAVICULAR DISEASE. 



narians, were successful in removing this lameness 

 for a shorter or longer period ; but books, both of 

 the old and modern school, abound with the fact of 

 the too frequent recurrence of the disease, and its 

 termination in permanent lameness. A most for- 

 midable barrier has been suffered to remain, which 

 has rendered our skill abortive, even after we have 

 removed the lameness and quelled all inilamraation 

 within the joint ; for just here, too often, our exer- 

 tions have ceased, having only subdued, though not 

 crushed the enemy ; that is, we have quieted the 

 inflamed parts, but actually left them in the same 

 state of dangerous encroachment on each other as 

 had before proved the predisposing cause of lame- 

 ness : viz., the unnatural elevation of the navicular 

 hone and heels of the coffin bone; therefore, a less 

 assemblao:e of concurrinof circumstances than be- 

 fore will be sufficient to establish another attack of 

 lameness, and much less of the immediate or excit- 

 ing cause after each succeeding attack. But, to 

 speak more plainly, if one bustling trot over the 

 stones from this place to Mile-End would not ef- 

 fect it, a very few journeys of that sort, in quick 

 succession, would almost ensure it. 



Nevertheless, these elevated coffin and navicular 

 Specific direr- boncs are not to be replaced in the first instance by 



tiuns tor open- ^ J 



ing the foot, ^j^y compulsory measures whatever ; but the treat- 

 ment should commence with the soothins: system, 

 viz., the abatement of inllammation, by abstracting 



